Ditching-machine.



F. JOHANNING & L. RICHNOW. DITCHINQ MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19,1911.

1,016,998,, Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

mvwtom F c ownninfl and Luz chnow,

FRIEDRICK JOHANNING AND LEO RICHNOW, OF CORTEZ, COLORADO.

DI'ICHING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, F RIEDRIOK JOHAN- NING and LEO RIoHNow, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Cortez, in the county of Montezuma andState of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDitching-Machines, of which the following is a specification, ref erencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

his invention relates to ditching machines and has for its object toprovide a suitable plow device which will make ditches, and throw thedirt therefrom to the sides of the same, so that it will be entirely outof the way.

Another object of this invention is to provide it wit-h an adjustingmeans whereby the angle, at which this device will dig into the ground,can be suitably provided for.

A further object of this invention is to provide it with a knife whichcan be readily removed and sharpened whenever the same is desirable.

A still further object is to arrange the device so that it can also beused for removing snow or mud from side-walks and streets.

Another object of this invention is to have it so arranged and designedas to be readily manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as it is more fullyset fort-h.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example anembodiment of this invention: Figure 1 represents a plan view of aditching device embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation;Fig. 3 is a front view.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the construction shown in the drawings, 1 represents a body or baseportion of the ditching machine which is preferably constructed out ofany suitable material into the shape shown in the drawings. The upperportion of this body being angularly tipped and its lower surface fiatso as to normally rest on the ground. The sides 2 of this body areextended upwardly and are cut at their end portions 3 in order to enablethe earth that the device digs up to flow up by the sides 2 and out ofthe open ings 3, being assisted in this action by the curved sides 4 ofa plow member or mold Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 19, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912. Serial No. 639,304.

board. This plow member or mold board being secured to the body properin any suitable manner.

In order to give the body proper of this device its proper form and inorder to keep down the cost of manufacture of the same, it is preferablymade from a single piece of material cut into the necessary shape andbent into the form shown in the drawing. A back is made, in order toreinforce the body, by extending down the material from the rear part ofthe upper portion and connecting it to the lower orground portion of themachine. The outer or front portion of the sides 2 of the body areslightly flared as is clearly shown in the drawings. The dotted lines inFig. 2 indicate the general interior construction of the body and 4' aresuitable means for securing the mold board to said body.

To the front portions of the body and the sides of the same is secured aremovable knife 5, that is bent to conform with the same. The bolts 6being provided in order to removably secure it to the body.

Handles 7 are attached to the back portion of the plow member 4, so thatthe whole device may be suitably guided by the operator, when the sameis being used in digging a ditch. 8 being suitable braces for holdingthe handles in a rigid posit-ion.

Provided on the upper portion of the plow member 4 is an extending beam9 that has its front portion 10 arranged to receive a Whittle-tree, towhich the power can be secured to pull the machine through the earth.The clevis 10 is provided with a number of holes 11 vertically disposedover one another, as is clearly shown in the drawings, in order that thewhiflie tree may be attached to different ones of them, so that a deeperditch may be dug according to the conditions arising. The ditch being dudeeper as the whiffie tree is attached to the holes nearest the top.

As the ditcher is drawn along the ground the knife 5 is dug into thesame and causes the dirt therefrom to flow along the upper surface ofthe body portion bet-ween the plow member 4 and the sides 2, and fromthence out of the openings 3, which will deposit the dirt at the sidesof the ditch that has been dug. Whenever it is desired to change thedirection of the ditch in any way, the operator suitably turns theditcher by means of the handles 7 Having thus described this inventionit is claimed:

1. In a ditching machine, the combination of a body having its sidepieces angularly disposed with respect to the ground, said side pieceshaving their upper rear portions cut away and a'mold board disposed insaid cut away portions and arranged to guide the material dug up by saidmachine off the rear side portions thereof.

2. In a ditching machine, a body comprising a single piece of materialhaving a portion thereof arranged to form the base of the same, and thesides angularly set with respect thereto, a back integrally connected tothe end of the last mentioned portion and arranged to connect with saidbase, said side pieces having their rear upper portions cut awayangularly arranged portion and having a draw bar integrally connectedthereto, said mold board being arranged to guide the material dug up bysaid machine, to the rear side portions thereof.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence oftwo wit- HBSSBS.

FRIEDRIGK J OHANNING. LEO RIGHNOW. WVitnesses:

M. Z. McGrLocHLm, T. L. CASE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

and a mold board disposed in said

